How to flash a new u-boot on Turris Omnia

Software SW help
22

Unified U-Boot and Rescue behaviour, across all TO revisions - that would be incredibly useful.

1 Like
23

Both are valid points for the TO platform, adding:

  • u-boot support for GPT [1]
  • u-boot support for exterior USB(3) (already available for MOX) [2]
  • omnia-support [3] availability in OpenWrt repo for unified user experience in updating u-boot

Unfortunately development for the TO platform has fallen victim to the MOX.

[1] [u-boot - feature suggestion] enable GPT support (#462) Ā· Issues Ā· Turris / Turris OS / Turris OS packages Ā· GitLab
[2] [feature suggestion] u-boot firmware with support for exterior USB(3) support for TO (#485) Ā· Issues Ā· Turris / Turris OS / Turris OS packages Ā· GitLab
[3] turris-os-packages/hardware/omnia/omnia-support at master Ā· CZ-NIC/turris-os-packages Ā· GitHub

24

Definitely. I like MOX also but there is the need to solve existing known problems first.

25

Picking up on that thought there is also the CZ11NIC20 revision.

And what is not clear from the documentation is whether uboot-envtools (fw_setenv command) are included with the

5 LEDs: Unsecure SSH on 192.168.1.1 (Omnia 2019 and newer)
You will end up in rescue mode with limited capabilities

mode or still a serial cable would be required to manipulate the boot variables?

26

New informations arrived.

27

How I can test new u-boot for Omnia, eventually MOX?

28

tested u-boot 2019.07 on CZ11NIC20 that features Bank gpio@71_ (boot.scr probes gpio input gpio@71_4) and with the symlink /boot/dtb removed SPF is automatically detected.

5 LED rescue (Unsecure SSH) through did not work.

N.B. querying u-boot version via ssh cli with strings /dev/mtd0 | grep 'U-Boot 20'

29

Can you help me how to do?

Also thanks for issues description.

30

:warning: at your own peril

1 Like
31
32

Will be new u-boot for Omnia in TOS 5.2.0?

33

the milestone says in 5.1.5 firmware. here more info https://gitlab.nic.cz/groups/turris/-/milestones/58

34

Is generalize NOR update really u-boot update?

35

yes the nor update its for update the uboot if i remember correctly because in one post in this forum says that commmand updates the U-boot

36

What will be happed if I install ā€œturris-omnia-firmware_1.2.0-1_arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16.ipkā€ from TOS 5.3.8 package repository and flash the images on my Indiegogo Omnia? It will be functional after restart?

https://repo.turris.cz/archive/5.3.8/omnia/packages/turrispackages/

Will I be to able use the new ā€œOmnia 2019 and newerā€ Rescue modes and SSD boot?

Otherwise, will I obtain new U-Boot with first version of TOS 6 automatically?

1 Like
37

Iā€™m also interested in this. With my IGG Omnia having a dead eMMC, Iā€™ll be really glad to have the newer u-boot. But as @viktor, Iā€™m a bit scared trying anything with it as Iā€™m not sure Iā€™d be able to fix it. And there has not yet been any official word about updating the old Omniasā€¦

1 Like
38

Absolutely. Two and half years Iā€™m not asking for anything more than some relevant opinion from the Turris team. All the more so when exist the relevant package and tutorial on the OpenWrt website.

39

So, anyone who wants to update the bootloader, can get relevant info here ā†’ Omnia - Turris Documentation
This is also relevant for situation something borked and you need to resurrect the dead Omnia (like power outage during the bootloader update).

To update the bootloader, you can use the tftp method described in the manual, but there is much more! You can upload the new bootloader via serial, or use the USB stick.

In case you made a decision to use the USB stick, here is the process:

  • get the u-boot binary
  • store it on the USB drive, formatted to ext/btrfs/fat FS
  • connect to Omnia over serial
  • break the bootloader by pressing any key
  • plug the USB stick
  • start the USB system by typing usb start
  • load the u-boot binary to memory by load usb 0 ${kernel_addr_r} name-of-uboot-binary
  • initialize the SPI flash memory by sf probe
  • update the u-boot by sf update ${kernel_addr_r} 0 ${filesize}
  • jump into new u-boot by typing reset

As an alternative, you can update it from the running system by installing the turris-nor-update package and issuing the nor-update -d for developer version of u-boot or just nor-update command to install the stable version.

The experimental/developer u-boot for Omnia with features like boot from the SATA driver card, boot from NVMe, support for GPT formatted drives, and much more, is located here ā†’ https://repo.turris.cz/hbl/omnia/packages/turrispackages/omnia-uboot_2022.04-1-ddr_arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16.ipk

6 Likes
40

Is it safe alternative? And what about the procedure on the OpenWrt website or the MOX workaround application?

And U-Boot from TOS 5.3.8 package repository havenā€™t this features?